Harvard Professor Placed on Leave After Firing Pellet Near Synagogue

A visiting professor at Harvard Law School has been placed on administrative leave after his arrest in connection with an incident outside a Brookline synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur, officials said.

Carlos Portugal Gouvea, who also teaches at the University of São Paulo Law School, was charged with illegally discharging a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and vandalizing property, according to public court records.

Brookline police responded Wednesday evening to reports of shots fired outside Temple Beth Zion, a synagogue in Brookline, as Yom Kippur — the holiest day in the Jewish calendar — was beginning. More than a dozen officers were dispatched, according to Brookline.News, which first reported the incident.

Two private security guards at the synagogue reportedly attempted to detain Gouvea before police arrived, leading to a brief struggle, the outlet said.

Police said Gouvea told officers he was attempting to hunt rats. He pleaded not guilty to all charges Thursday in Brookline District Court and was released on personal recognizance pending a hearing in early November, according to court records.

Neither Gouvea nor his attorney responded to a request for comment Saturday evening.

The Brookline Police Department’s records division was closed over the weekend, and The Harvard Crimson said it was unable to independently obtain the police report.

Gouvea earned his doctorate from Harvard Law School in 2008 and leads a Brazilian think tank focused on social and environmental justice, according to its website.

Harvard Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal confirmed that Gouvea “has been placed on administrative leave as the school seeks to learn more about this matter.” Neal said Gouvea has not been the subject of formal disciplinary action.

Material from the Harvard Crimson was used in this story.